LURE OF OPEN ROAD

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 103, 22 December 1931, Page 7

LURE OF OPEN ROAD

christmas holidays BY CAR TO THE DOMINION'S " THERMAL WONDER LAND OTHER VARIOUS ATTRACTIONS Discussing the trend of holiday traffic this year, Mr. Hutchison, secretary of the Auckland Automobile Association, remarked that the association's inf ormation bureau was handling a much greater volume of inquiries this year than . in previous seasons. This seemed to indicate there would be more motorists undertaking tours, although possihly the increase was due to motor owners becoming more and more dependent on the facilities made available through the A.A.A. touring department. "Of course," added Mr. Hutchison, "allowance must be made for our rapidly increasing membership, but I think the main reason is due to the fact that motorists find that the A.A.A. information is compiled with such minute care and details are set out so clearly that an A.A.A. looseleaf touring itinerary, which, hy the way, is available for our members free of charge, is a necessary adjunct to the complete enjoyment of any motoring tour. Where To Go "Where to go for a holiday always provides an interesting diseussion, and a glance through the applications for touring itineraries at the A.A.A. headquarters shows a great diversity of opinion. Rotorua, as usual, is proving tremeridously popular and from this centre hundreds will enjoy the attractions of day trips through the surrounding country. Motor camping will be more popular than ever, and large numbers of motorists have indicated their intention to include Wairakei, Taupo, and the National Park in the itinerary of a round trip. Numerous inquiries have also been made concerning the Waikaremoana-Urewera trip, some travelling by way of Napier and Wairoa to Rotoruh, others going through the Bay of Plenty to Gisborne. It is noticeable that the isolation of Gisborne is now a thing of the past, and the bridging of the three streams will provide the last link in an allweather route. "The fear of travelling over fhe Motu Hills is also relieved, and the opening of the Waioeka Valley route between Opotiki and Gisborne will encourage hundreds of motorists to travel to Poverty Bay. The Waioeka route, although not yet in a finished. condition, provides comparatively easy travelling, -and on the last two inspections made by the touring manager of the A.A.A., he reported that he made a very comfortable topgear run from Opotiki right through to Gisborne. Other Districts "The giant kauri trees and beautiful sandy beache® of North Auckland, which are now connected to Auckland by an all-weather route are also attracting an increased number of tourists this year, and in addition, the scene of the attempt on the world's land speed record at the Ninety Mile Beach, will draw hundreds of racing enthusiasts. "Visitors to the South, favour the Te Kuiti-New Plymouth route, but the central highway through Taumarunui will carry a much greater volume of traffic than in past years. "A feature of this season's touring will be the leisurely nature of many of the trips. While most of the itineraries are being arranged to include round trips, returning home via a diffe.rent route from that taken on the first portion of the journey, motorists seem anxious to spend more time in viewing the scenery and mspeeting the local attractions of the districts through which they pass, and travelling fewer miles per day rather than the long, hard, fast motoring which was so common a few years ago. , "Although holiday motoring traffic has not yet really set in A.A.A. road patrols are experiencing a busy time, there being a much greater proportion of minor stoppages and tyre troubles. Motor vehicles are now being called upon to provide the maximum length of serviee, and tyres which a few years ago would have been discarded, are now being retained for an extra few hundred miles. Altogether, the atmosphere of the A.A.A. information bureau breathes optimism, and the general impression one gains is that motorists after a long and trying year, are eagerly anticipating the refreshing change of a few days on the open road away from the dull grind of daily work. As one member aptly put it, even if it is wet and the realisation is not all that we may expect, half the joy of the holiday is in plam ning and anticipation." -t